Magic and Chakra
by Jakespeed207
Summary: Harry discovers a strange new ability that he possesses during the altercation with Marge before his Third Year. Just what was this energy? With new determination, he sets out to figure out the mystery of his family. Harry/Hermione, some mild Dumbles Bashing. Rated M for safety and future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, first things first, much of this chapter will be just a description of all of the things that have happened in the Naruto world up until now, although it won't go into detail. If there's any issues, do let me know. Due to this, however, keep one thing in mind:**

**THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Naruto or Harry Potter.**

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

Harry James Potter was not having a good day... not by a long shot. He was currently sitting down on a curb in front of a deserted playground, late at night, with the light bulb of the only nearby light having given up and burned out, leaving him in near darkness. Spooky, eh? You may be wondering why he is here instead of in the care of his *ahem* _loving _muggle family. Let's take a look at Harry's thoughts for the answer, shall we?

_'I can't bloody believe this! If it weren't bad enough that I did magic outside of Hogwarts AND attacked a muggle with said magic, now I'm alone, outside, with all my money in Gringotts and no way to get there! I don't give a damn what they tell me though, Marge had no right to disrespect my parents like that!' _Harry's thoughts paused here, then resumed in a more curious manner._ 'But I'm still wondering, just what was what I did back there? I mean, I managed to summon a small dragon made of water! And it attacked Uncle Vernon, almost as if it knew what I wanted. And then, those gusts of wind that came out of my mouth and destroyed the ceiling... how did I do that?!'_

Harry was sure that if his bushy haired best friend Hermione were there, she would be stuck between berating him for his language use, fretting over his use of magic, or asking non-stop questions about his new ability.

"I guess I'll need to study a bit more about this development..." Harry sighed out loud. "Maybe my parents knew something. I mean, I didn't feel any pull on my magic, but I still felt tired afterwards, so... maybe I have a secondary-"

His ranting was cut off when he noticed something moving on the curb across from him. Slowly standing and drawing his wand, Harry pointed it at a small opening on a hedge across from the curb he was on, where he could just barely make out a pair of red, slitted eyes, merely staring at him.

Harry was about to call out the first incantation that came to mind when several things happened: first, a loud BANG sounded near him, making him jump back out of reflex; second, he just managed to catch the red eyes squint a bit before disappearing, making him groan in frustration; and third, once the adrenaline wore off, he noticed that he somehow managed to jump back enough to be behind the small fence surrounding the park. Now, he knew he had good leg muscles (running up and down Hogwarts stairs, not to mention running from a giant basilisk, could do that to anyone's legs, especially Hermione's considering how much weight she carried. That girl must have some great le- Back on track, Harry! This isn't the time to dream about your pretty best friend's probably well-toned legs!), but he was pretty sure even he couldn't jump back enough to clear a few feet AND a fence, low as it was.

A snooty voice cut Harry's reflection time off. "'Ey, 'choo doin' back there?"

Harry looked up at this, finally noticing the purple triple decker bus that was parked on the curb in front of him, coincidentally where he had been standing not thirty seconds ago. Looking at the end of the bus, he noticed a freckled young man looking at him curiously.

"Uh..." Harry quickly jumped back over the fence, once again marveling at how easy it was, then walked forward until he was close to the young man. "Nothing, just... jumped back I guess."

"Well, wha'chu jump back fo'?" Freckles asked.

"Uh..." Harry thought fast. "You startled me, that's all."

"Oh, ok. Welcum to the Knight Bus! 'Mergency service fo' stran'ed witchs 'nd wizards anywhere on land! Can't do nuffin on water..." Freckles announced. "Name's Stan Shunpike 'nd I'll be yo'r conductor fer this ev'nin!"

Harry stared at Stan, then at the bus. This gift could not have come at a better time.

"How much?" Harry asked.

"Eleven sickles! But fer firteen you get 'ot chocolate 'nd fer fifteen you get a hot water bottl' 'nd a toofbrush of 'ur choice."

Harry quickly turned and got his coin bag, giving the conductor eleven sickles. Noticing Stan was trying to look at something on his face, he quickly turned and got his suitcase, dragging it into the bus.

"Ey, wha's your name?" Stan asked out of the blue.

A name, unknown to him, surfaced in his mind. Without giving it further thought, he stuttered out, "Erm, Naruto... Naruto Uzumaki..."

Stan nodded and seemed to accept the answer, turning aside to let Harry board the bus.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

_'Never... Again...' _Harry thought as he stepped off of the bus and up to the front steps of the Leaky Cauldron. That was the most sickening ride he had been on in his life, and that was a lot coming from a guy who was used to going at a hundred miles an hour on a broom of all things. At least he had a minimal chance of smashing his nose into a window _three _times while on a broom!

"Well, take care, Naruto!" Stan called out merrily as another BANG sounded out and the triple decker Knight Bus disappeared.

Muttering a string of curses that would leave Vernon Dursley blushing, Harry quickly grabbed onto his suitcase and Hedwig's cage and walked inside the pub, quickly walking up to the bartender, Tom.

"Hey, Tom, mind if I get a room?" Harry asked.

Tom looked up from the glass he had been cleaning and regarded Harry with a critical eye. "Mr Potter... The Minister has been expecting you."

Harry paled. "He what?"

Before he could either continue questioning Tom or bolt for the exit, a pudgy hand dropped onto Harry's shoulder. Almost meekly, Harry turned his head around and came face to face with the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Uh..." Harry groaned out, sitting in an office of the Leaky Cauldron meant for meetings like this.

"Harry, my boy, good to see you too," Fudge chuckled, sitting on an ornate chair behind a desk. "As you may know, I am the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge." Harry nodded. Despite the fact that he already knew this, he couldn't just tell the man that he had seen him while under an invisibility cloak in Hagrid's hut a couple of months back.

"I heard about the accident at your relatives' place, Harry. The Department of Magical Regulation has already deflated Ms Marge, and she will have no recollection of what transpired. Additionally, they've fixed up the roof and kitchen of the house and your relatives have already agreed to take you in next summer. So... that's that! No harm done."

Harry stared blankly at the Minister before replying, "But what about my punishment?"

Fudge regarded Harry with a confused air. "What punishment?"

"I broke the Underage Wizardry law! I did magic outside of school!" Harry bristled, conscious enough to keep his extra abilities hidden as of now since the Minister hadn't brought it up.

"Oh, Harry," Fudge chuckled in a strained way and waved a pudgy hand, "We don't send people to Azkaban merely because they blow up their aunts!"

Harry's anger reached a peak, but he calmed it before it could actually surface. His anger had gotten him in plenty of situations before.

Plastering a smile on his face, Harry did his best to look relieved. "Whew, that's good. I was afraid that I'd be expelled from Hogwarts and that I'd never see my friends again!" Fudge smiled along with Harry, seemingly buying his act.

"Yes, yes, well," Fudge coughed, "I have taken the liberty of getting you a room here in the Leaky Cauldron until the start of term, Harry. Tom here will show you to it." Harry was then aware of the bartender's hand coming down on his shoulder and pulling him up with surprising strength. "Oh, and Harry, try to stay only in Diagon Alley for now. Best you don't get lost in muggle London, right? I mean, for security reasons, you understand?" Harry nodded in understanding. "Well, off you go then."

**0o0o0o0o0o0 **

As Harry lay in bed that night, his thoughts continued racing all through the night. When he was actually able to fall into slumber, he dreamed of what appeared to be a large village, surrounded by a thick forest on all sides. He could see people jumping incredible distances over rooftops. There also seemed to be a large cliff that had four carvings of men's heads. A large explosion of smoke appeared on one side of the village, dissipating with the roar of the creature that came from it. It appeared to be a large, demonic-looking fox, with red eyes and orange fur. Right before the scene faded to black, Harry counted nine long, flowing tails behind the fox...

The strong bark of an owl brought Harry back to the land of the living. He bolted upright in bed, his hands already moving into a defensive stance meant to block all incoming attacks. It was several seconds later that he realized it had merely been Hedwig, who was sitting on a perch near the open window and who was giving him what appeared to be a disapproving look.

"Hedwig!" Harry called out happily, the tension leaving his muscles. He quickly walked over to the snowy owl and rubbed her head, making her hoot happily.

"Had a good time outside?" Harry asked. Hedwig bobbed her head, as if nodding. "Good. I'm glad you're safe."

Looking around, he spotted his trunk and quickly checked inside for some owl treats. Finding them, he put some on a bowl near Hedwig, who barked in appreciation and began eating. Meanwhile, Harry checked the clock and noticed that it was already 10 in the morning. He quickly took a shower before putting on a blue shirt under a black jacket, jeans, and sneakers. He walked out of the room and quickly got to the hidden entrance to Diagon Alley, tapping in the combination he memorized from his first time here.

Instantly, the bricks shifted and separated, letting Harry enter the magical road known as Diagon Alley. Unfortunately, it seemed there were many people who were out shopping today, so getting through the streets to get to Gringotts would be an incredible hassle due to how packed they were.

He looked around to see if he could find another way to go, and his eyes fell on the roof of a nearby pastry shop. Remembering his strange dream and allowing his instincts to take over, he pumped some energy into his legs, unknowingly charging more than just that, and jumped, easily making the three story high jump and landing lightly on the rooftop, not to mention startling some folk behind him.

From his new vantage point, Harry could now see the tall, white spire of Gringotts, standing proudly a fair distance away. Crouching and pumping his legs again, Harry jumped towards the next rooftop, landing lightly and immediately jumping for the next. He continued to do this for the next few minutes, admiring how everything looked from this high up. He enjoyed the wind brushing his face every time he jumped, and in no time at all, which was far too quickly for his tastes, he landed on a building next to the magical bank.

Quickly and easily jumping down onto the steps of the bank, he walked in and went up to the main teller, saying, "Hi. My name is Harry Potter, and I'd like to access my vault."

The goblin looked up and fixed Harry with an unreadable eye, much like Tom the bartender had done the day before, then said, "Mister Potter, we've been expecting you. There has been a change in your account, so your vault is no longer accessible."

Harry's eye widened. "What happened?!"

"Nothing major. It seems one requirement in your parents' will was fulfilled, and so your normal funds have been transferred to your parents' vault, which is now accessible to you."

Harry sighed in relief. "Oh, okay. Good. Is it possible I could access it?"

"Of course," the goblin replied, pressing something on the desk. A few seconds later, another goblin, this one familiar to Harry, came out from a side door and approached Harry.

"Hello... Griphook, right?" Harry asked carefully.

The goblin's mouth twisted upwards, resembling a smile. "Indeed, Mister Potter. I am Griphook, the keeper of the Potter accounts and-"

"-the goblin who showed Hagrid and I to my vault my first time here," Harry continued. "I remember you."

The smile on Griphook's face widened. "You are a strange wizard indeed, Mister Potter. Not many wizards would even bother remembering the face of a goblin."

"Yes, well, I'm not like many wizards, as I'm sure you know, Griphook," Harry commented lightly.

"Indeed," Griphook chuckled, then motioned towards the door he came from. "Follow me. I shall take you to your new vault."

Harry eagerly followed Griphook through some hallways and then through a door that led to a number of railways. The two got into the first railcar available, and with a motion from Griphook, they moved out of the station and into the massive caverns that held the vaults.

A few seconds into the ride, Harry leaned forward and asked, "Hey, Griphook, do these carts have only one speed?"

In response, Griphook grinned mischievously and motioned once again. As a result, the railcar sped up tremendously, almost making Harry's glasses fly off his face. The boy was too busy whooping in joy to worry, however.

A few seconds later, they stopped in front of a large vault with a loud grinding noise. Harry stumbled out of the railcar, but he had a large, shite-eating grin on his face.

"I take it you enjoyed the ride?" Griphook asked, walking out of the cart without a problem.

"Oh yes, definitely," Harry exclaimed before becoming serious again and facing the vault in front of him. "So this is it? How do I access it? I have no key."

"Not every vault opens with a key, Mister Potter-"

"Harry, please. I've never been one for formalities."

"Very well... Harry. In any case, many of our customers pay for different security measures. Some doors use a small amount of blood as a key. Others drain some magic in order to open, but only a specific person's magic, otherwise they drain all of the magic from the offending person. And some of the more special vaults can only be opened by a goblin."

Harry nodded in understanding, then faced the door to the vault. "So what security does this one have?"

"Ah, this one is a special case. Your parents asked to create the security themselves. While normally, we wouldn't allow such a thing, they made it so that goblins can access it in case of an emergency. You merely have to bite your thumb until you draw blood, then press the digit onto the door."

"That's it?" Harry asked sceptically.

At Griphook's nod, Harry lifted his right hand and bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood, not even wincing in pain. He pressed the bloody thumb onto the door, and watched as a large amount of what appeared to be ink appeared from the point where he touched it. The ink seemed to form a large array, not making any sense to Harry but intriguing him. The ink glowed blue for a moment before Harry felt the cut on his thumb heal and the door click open.

As the door swung down slowly, Harry's mouth fell open more and more as he noticed that this vault had almost ten times the amount that his school vault had had. The Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons were piled up like small hills, one for each of the three other walls of the cube-like vault. In the middle of all of this were several chests, similar to those of the pirates in children's stories, surrounding what appeared to be a desk.

Harry slowly walked up to the desk, Griphook trailing behind him. Once he reached it, he immediately noticed that there was a similar ink matrix on it as was on the door. Looking back at Griphook, who nodded, he bit his thumb once more until it bled and pressed it onto the seal, which glowed blue for a moment before erupting in a large cloud of smoke, startling the young man.

Once the smoke dissipated, Harry noted that the desk now had a total of three letters on it, along with a long, rolled up scroll. One of the scrolls has his father's name, the other his mother's, and the final one had only one word: Inheritance.

The interesting thing to Harry, though, was his mother's letter. Instead of the expected Lily Evans, instead it was Lily Evans Uzumaki.

'Never heard about that one,' Harry thought, bewildered.

Looking around, Harry decided not to take too long and got a small bag from his pocket, going around and packing some money from each hill in there. Next, he grabbed the letters and scroll and put them in his pocket securely before nodding to Griphook.

Together, they walked out and to the railcar, the door to the vault closing behind them. The ink array on the door slowly shank down until it had disappeared completely, but by that time, the raven-haired boy and the goblin were long gone.

Arriving at his room and greeting Hedwig before she flew out, Harry quickly sat on the bed and took out the letters and scroll from his pocket.

As he looked at the letters, he decided to open up his mother's letter first. Quickly rereading the name on it, he broke the seal and brought out the letter.

_Dear Harry,_

_I sincerely hope that we never have to use this letter, but on the off chance that blasted prophecy does come to pass, both your father and I want you to have some words to remember us by. _

_First and foremost, son, I want to tell you that no matter what you are at the point that you read this letter, we both love you unconditionally. You hardly have a few months of age, and yet, you are the single most important thing in our lives. I want you to remember that. Harry, for no matter what anyone tells you, James and I will never stop loving you._

_Second, I want to tell you this piece of advice: DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, FULLY TRUST ALBUS DUMBLEDORE! It's imperative that you follow this rule. Despite the fact that his heart is in the right place, Dumbledore has a distressing habit of easily sacrificing people for the "Greater Good". Stay clear of him as much as possible, and try to never be alone in the same room as him._

_The scroll we left you contains both our will and instructions for a special energy that we could both use during our time in the war. If my hunch is correct, you'll be able to access this energy as well, and if you do, you'll need those instructions._

_Grow well, Harry. Don't be a picky eater; eat plenty, and grow big and strong! Remember to bathe every day, go to bed early, and sleep well. Study hard! No matter what, always stick to your studies. They will lead you down a good path. I was considered the smartest of my year while I was in Hogwarts, and I know you can achieve the same! And if things don't go so well, don't get depressed or just give up. No matter what school you go to, listen to your teachers! Also, make friends! It doesn't matter how many, just make sure that they're people you can really trust. And a few is enough! Remember to be careful when you loan and borrow money; always make sure you manage your money carefully. And no drinking alcohol until you're of age, young man! Too much alcohol is harmful for your body. As for girls... well, I'm a girl so I don't really know what to say... but sooner or later, you'll want a girlfriend and that's normal. Just don't fall for a strange girl, or one that just wants to be with you for superficial reasons. Try to find someone...like me, I guess. _

_Finally, Harry, I want to ask a small request. If James and I truly don't make it, and you start learning magic at Hogwarts, talk to Severus in my stead. You may know him as Professor Snape. Tell him for me that I don't blame him for anything, and that I forgive him for the misunderstanding we had in our fifth year. He'll understand._

_With much love,_

_Lily Evans Uzumaki_

Harry had to take off his glasses and wipe his eyes by the end of the letter. Pausing only to once again remind himself that his parents loved him, he quickly went to the other letter, his father's.

_Dear son,_

_I wish I didn't have to write this letter, but I can't leave anything to chance. Lily and I agree, something is brewing out there, and I can't be sure that we'll make it out of it alive._

_There's not much I can say that your loudmouth mother wouldn't already say, but I have my own few advices._

_First of all, listen to whatever advice your mother has given you. I've made the mistake of not doing so a few times, and it hasn't yielded good results. She's a great woman, and I hope that you find someone similar to her._

_When it comes to friends, don't be overly picky, but don't just trust blindly. Make sure that you can trust them to have your back unconditionally. I was considered popular during my time in Hogwarts, but I only had three friends that I truly trusted: Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. I hope you have similar friends, because I couldn't ask for better ones._

_Grow well and strong, my son. Don't slack off! That may sound a bit hypocritical, but I learned from my time that leaving things for the last minute never yields good results, unless one of your best attributes is bullshitting._

_Much like your mother has probably told you, DO NOT TRUST ALBUS "TOO-MANY-NAMES-FOR-HIS-OWN-GOOD" DUMBLEDORE! I can tell you first-hand that I know he's one manipulative bastard, and he's been trying to control our lives ever since hearing that thrice-damned prophecy. Prove to him that you don't need his so called "training" and "Greater Good" to beat Moldyshorts! Prove to him that you can grow to be strong on your own! And most of all, prove to him that you never, and I mean NEVER, mess with either a Potter, or an Uzumaki!_

_Good luck to you!_

_James Potter, A.K.A. Prongs_

Harry had to laugh out loud at the ending to his father's letter, but he nonetheless took his words to heart.

_'Don't worry, mum, dad. Despite my rough upbringing, I managed to come out with a clear head. I'll always do my best for anything! I'll follow your advice, mum. I didn't know much about alcohol anyways, so I'd rather stay back from it. As for girls, well... There's one I know is a lot like you, mum, but I don't know if she'd see me that way. She is certainly a steadfast friend, though! She's stuck by me through thick and thin, and she's definitely my best friend! When it comes to friends, I have a few, but only two that I'd consider trustworthy. With how hard pressed I was to make friends in my childhood, it's a little hard for me to open up to others, but Ron and Hermione have certainly become my best friends. No matter what, I'll make you two proud! No matter where you are, you can count on it!'_

With that thought, Harry looked at the scroll he had put on the bed. Reaching out, he grabbed it and attempted to open it, but it wouldn't budge. Deciding that the third time couldn't hurt, he bit his thumb once again and drew blood, then pressed the thumb against the word 'Inheritance' written on the scroll. With a flash of light and a rustle of paper, it rolled open.

**THIS IS THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF JAMES POTTER AND LILY EVANS UZUMAKI, BOTH BEING OF SOUND MIND AND BODY. AT THE MOMENT OF OPENING OF THIS WILL, ALL OTHER COPIES HEREBY BECOME NULL AND VOID. **

**FIRST, WE'D LIKE TO GIVE A TOTAL OF TEN THOUSAND GALLEONS TO REMUS LUPIN, ALONG WITH THE POTTER VILLA IN FRANCE AND CHEST NUMBER 2 IN OUR VAULT. ENJOY THEM, MOONY.**

**SECOND, WE GIVE TEN THOUSAND GALLEONS AND CHEST NUMBER 5 TO MINERVA MCGONAGALL, FOR BEING BOTH AN AMAZING TEACHER AND AN AMAZING FRIEND.**

**THIRD, WE'D LIKE TO GIVE OUR HOUSE IN GLASGOW AND CHEST NUMBER 4 TO OUR BEST FRIEND AND HARRY'S GODFATHER, SIRIUS BLACK. HAVE FUN, YOU MANGY DOG, AND DON'T MOURN US TOO LONG!**

**FOURTH, WE GIVE CUSTODY OF HARRY POTTER UZUMAKI TO HIS GODFATHER, SIRIUS BLACK. SHOULD HE BE UNAVAILABLE, HIS CUSTODY SHALL GO TO THE LONGBOTTOM FAMILY. SHOULD THEY BE UNAVAILABLE AS WELL, HIS CUSTODY SHOULD GO TO EITHER REMUS LUPIN OR MINERVA MCGONAGALL. IN NO WAY SHOULD HARRY EVER GO LIVE WITH MY MAGIC-HATING SISTER AND HER FAMILY!**

**FINALLY, EVERYTHING ELSE OF OURS SHOULD GO TO OUR BELOVED SON, HARRY POTTER UZUMAKI. HARRY, IN THE EVENT THIS WILL NEEDS TO BE CARRIED OUT, WE'RE BOTH VERY SORRY ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU. WE BOTH LOVE YOU VERY MUCH. DON'T YOU EVER DOUBT THAT!**

**WITH MUCH LOVE TO ALL, EXCEPT ALBUS DUMBLEDORE,**

**JAMES POTTER AND LILY POTTER NEE EVANS UZUMAKI.**

Harry had to re-read the will several times. First, who were Remus Lupin and Sirius Black? His father had mentioned them in his letter, but he'd never heard of either of them, and supposedly Black was his godfather!

Second, it seemed his parents had been good friends with both Neville's family and Professor McGonagall, due to the gifts for the latter and the fact that his custody should have gone to either of them had Black and Lupin not been available.

As he began to ask more and more questions to himself, he also looked back down to the paper only to now notice a number of small ink arrays on the bottom of the will. Turning the paper showed a few more on the back. Using the now residual blood on his thumb while thinking that he might die of blood loss if this kept up, he pressed the digit to the first ink array, which erupted in smoke before what appeared to be a small book dropped into his hand. Curiously, he read the title.

**The Time before the Magic: An Era of Chakra**

His curiosity now definitely piqued, he set aside the scroll of inheritance for now and opened the small book, noticing a post-it note attached to the first page.

_Dear Harry,_

_This booklet contains all about the energy I mentioned in my letter to you, as well as how it originated, what abilities it gave, and the possibilities that were available to people with it, along with a history of the times before the full creation of a monarchy. If I could sum it up in one sentence: Charles Darwin's evolutionary theory was very much correct._

_Chakra itself is the result of combining the body's physical energy with their mental, sometimes spiritual, energy, thus creating a power stronger than any magical ability. You'll learn more as you read through the book._

_Learn about chakra, my son, and about the nearly extinct Uzumaki Clan, a clan that I came from and one that you are now the head of. Carry your responsibilities well, take control of your power, and be the best you can ever be!_

_Lily_

Harry smiled and, after moving the letters and scroll to his trunk and getting into his sleepwear, plopped down on the bed and opened the book to the first page, beginning to read about the incredible ability that was chakra.

**_A long time ago, much farther back than the creation of United Kingdom, humanity lived. However, war was somewhat common during these times, and thus humanity found itself at the brink of self-destruction. _**

**_One day, a princess of unknown lands, going by the name of Kaguya Ootsuki, grew tired of the constant strife. Thus, she travelled to the God Tree, a tree of gigantic proportions whose fruit had never been taken as it was forbidden. Kaguya, ignoring these warnings, took the fruit of the tree, and ate it._**

**_As a result, she became the first user of the power known as 'chakra', a combination of one's physical and spiritual/mental ability. With her massive power, she stopped humanity's war single-handedly, bringing forth a small time of peace and earning her the moniker 'The Rabbit Goddess'._**

**_However, as time passed, Kaguya developed a god-complex due to the power she wielded corrupting her. She began doing increasingly horrifying acts to stop humanity from causing harm to the world. She then began her plans to create and enslave humanity with the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the most powerful of illusions which would be reflected off the surface of the moon so that everyone would see it. This illusion would trap everyone who was caught in it into a dream world where their most wanted dream would be a reality. Thus, as humanity dreamed, Kaguya planned to drain them of their life force, turning them into White Zetsu: humanoid, plant-like creatures that were bent to her will._**

**_Kaguya's plan was interrupted when she gave birth to two boys. The brothers, Hagoromo and Hamura, were later found to have the ability to wield chakra like their mother, as well as having a Visual Bloodline, known as the Rinnegan, which gave both of them incredible abilities. Kaguya, angry at this development, merged with the God Tree in order to forcefully reclaim what she thought was rightfully and only hers. This brought to life humanity's greatest threat: The Ten-Tails._**

**_A menace to life in the distant past, this tailed beast had enough power to completely destroy entire continents with minimal effort. It was characterized by its namesake, ten long tails that flowed behind it, no matter its maturity stage. When the tree first bonded with Kaguya, the Ten-Tails had rocky brown, cracked skin, a titanic body, and one large eye that took up most of its face. The eye itself was one of its most recognizable characteristics. It had the same design as the Rinnegan the Ootsuki brothers possessed, that being a small pupil with three to four concentric circles surrounding it. The major difference being that the Ten-Tails' Rinnegan had tomoe on the circles surrounding the pupil (See illustration below). _**

**_Hagoromo and his brother Hamura managed to defeat the Ten-Tails and harness its power to usher humanity into a new era. Using their knowledge, they sealed the Ten-Tails inside Hagoromo's body, granting him incredible power and earning him the name 'Sage of Six Paths'. With his new power and a new era of peace being ushered in, Hagoromo began traveling the nations, spreading his teaching of chakra and its uses._**

**_Near the end of his life, Hagoromo realized that when he died, the Ten-Tails trapped in his body would be released to wreak havoc once again. Thus, he decided to use one of his Rinnegan's abilities, the Creation of All Things, to separate the power of the beast into nine different ones, leaving the beast's body as a husk of its former self. Using another ability of the Rinnegan known as the Planetary Devastation, he sealed the Ten-Tails into a prison of his own creation: the moon itself. _**

**_Just before dying, he named each of the new tailed beasts: Shukaku, the One-Tailed Tanuki; Matatabi, the Two-Tailed Hellcat; Isobu, the Three-Tailed Armoured Turtle; Son Goku, the Four-Tailed Red Ape; Kokuo, the Five-Tailed Dolphin Horse; Saiken, the Six-Tailed Slug; Chomei, the Seven-Tailed Horned Beetle; Gyūki, the Eight-Tailed Octopus Ox; and finally, Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox. _**

**_(See illustrations below)_**

Harry checked out the illustrations for the tailed beasts and one immediately caught his eye. It was the picture of the Nine-Tailed Fox, Kurama, who was depicted in what appeared to be a battle stance with its nine tails flowing behind it. The painting seemed to be non-magical since it was stationary. What caught his attention, however, was that this was the same giant fox that had attacked the village in his dream. Comparing the Fox's size to that of the village buildings, it was easy to see why these gigantic tailed beasts would be widely feared. After looking at it sufficiently, he continued reading.

**_Documents dating to the time after the death of the Sage are scarce, however it is known that he had two sons, Ashura and Indra. Indra, the first born, was considered the better child, a prodigy who inherited a different version of his father's doujutsu, the first Sharingan. Ashura was considered the weaker son, showing no great abilities like his father and brother. This was so until some time had passed, when it was found that instead of his father's doujutsu, Ashura inherited his father's body and spiritual energy, and thus trained accordingly. As time went on, the brothers' views of the world diverged. Indra, being a powerful man since his youth, believed that true peace could be achieved through having power and making sure people wouldn't quarrel. Ashura, on the other hand, believed that true peace could only be achieved through love and understanding of each other. This eventually caused a large rift to appear between the brothers. Sometime later, on his deathbed, Hagoromo named Ashura as his true successor, and this was the last straw for Indra. Believing that he should be their father's successor since he was the first born son, Indra challenged Ashura to a battle. The battle was large and extensive. Both combatants used all of their available resources, but eventually, Ashura came out as the victor. Frustrated, Indra left and travelled far. Soon after, he founded his own clan, which he named "Uchiha". Ashura likewise formed his own clan, which he called "Senju". _**

Harry's eyes were partially widened by this point. He sensed a small kindred spirit in Ashura, for he knew what it was like for people to always consider him a failure. However, it seemed Ashura had risen above this and became a powerful man. When he read Indra's description of peace, he had to shake his head in disdain. That sounded just like a dictatorship, and anyone who forcefully subjugated others to his rule was someone Harry was not going to get along with. Deciding to save that for later, he kept reading.

**_As time went on, more and more specialized clans began appearing. With so many different clans, battles became inevitable, and soon the world became a large war zone. This period of time is simply known as the Clan Wars Era. The Uchiha and the Senju clans were the strongest of their time, and quarrels between the two happened every week. Soon, two great figures became clan leaders of their respective clans. Hashirama Senju, a man largely regarded as the God of Shinobi and wielder of the powerful Wood Release bloodline limit, which allowed him to control and work with nature itself in devastating ways, became the leader of his clan. Madara Uchiha, a man on equal footing with Hashirama and the first wielder of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, became the Uchiha clan's leader. _**

**_When the battles between the two clans seemed to get worse, Hashirama proposed a truce to Madara, who reluctantly accepted when Hashirama offered to sacrifice himself with a smile on his face. With the power of Hashirama's Wood Release, a large village was built, subsequently being named the Village Hidden in the Leaves after Hashirama grew a large, dense forest all around the village, on what had once been infertile, rocky ground. As time passed, more clans heard of the new village and sought to join. They were welcomed with open arms. The prominent clans were the Akimichi (known for having a lot of weight and expanding their body parts to incredible proportions), the Inuzuka (known for being very animalistic and having ninja dog partners), the Aburame (known for being quiet and logical and for using Kikaichu, or ninja insects, in battle to drain an opponent's chakra), the Nara (known for their incredible smarts but equally incredible laziness and for their Shadow Manipulation jutsus, through which they could control their shadows and others' as well) the Yamanaka (known for their mind jutsu, with which they could invade an opponent's mind to read their thoughts, scan their memories, and even control their bodies for some time) and finally the Uzumaki (being cousins of the Senju due to one of their own separating from the clan to seek his own destiny, they were known for their long vitality, powerful life force, and massive chakra reserves which could sometimes match one of the Tailed Beasts; they were also widely known and feared for their use of the Sealing Arts, with which they could do nearly limitless things)._**

**_Sometime later, the large continent was divided into five large countries: the Land of Fire, where the Village Hidden in the Leaves was; the Land of Earth, where the Village Hidden in the Stone was; the Land of Lightning, where the Village Hidden in the Clouds was; the Land of Water, where the Village Hidden in the Mist was; and finally the Land of Wind, where the Village Hidden in the Sand was. These leaders of the five countries decided that each ninja village needed a leader. The leader of the Hidden Leaf would be the Hokage; the leader of the Hidden Stone would be the Tsuchikage; the leader of the Hidden Mist would be the Mizukage; the leader of the Hidden Cloud would be the Raikage; and the leader of the Hidden Sand would be the Kazekage. _**

**_In the Hidden Leaf, the main vote for Hokage was between Hashirama and Madara. Hashirama, being a humble man, wanted Madara to be the Hokage, but his brother Tobirama disagreed. Tobirama was distrustful of the Uchiha, and with Madara his trust was practically non-existent. It seemed as though the voters agreed, for Hashirama was made Hokage. _**

**_Madara was not happy about this, but it wasn't until the bias against his clan was mounting that he realized the Uchiha Clan had no future in the Hidden Leaf. He tried to rally the Clan against the village and the Hokage, but none listened to him, believing him to be a malcontent. Due to the distrust from even his Clan, Madara packed up his things and left the village, becoming a missing-nin._**

**_And soon after... he became an avenger, and challenged the Hidden Leaf to battle._**

******_Hashirama, not wanting the innocent men and women of the village to be killed by Madara, accepted the challenge by himself and met him head on. The battle between Hashirama and Madara was one of epic proportions. The landscape itself was torn asunder. In the end, Hashirama triumphed, killing Madara._**

**_Or so he thought._**

**_In the end, Madara survived. He hid himself from the world and implanted into his body a piece of DNA from Hashirama that he gained from the battle, hoping to unlock the doujutsu of legend: The Legendary Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths. _**

**_However, it was not until near the end of his life that he finally managed to develop and awaken it. When he did, he set his plans into motion, summoning the husk of the Ten-Tails from the moon in order to keep himself alive and to create an army of White Zetsu. He then secretly implanted his Rinnegan eyes into a young Uzumaki boy by the name of Nagato, leaving them with him so he could use the boy as his pawn later on. The next part of his plan came when he rescued a young Uchiha boy that had nearly been crushed by an avalanche of rocks in a cave near his hideout. He had kept the boy, whose name was Obito, alive through the use of one of his White Zetsu that he had created with the Ten-Tails' chakra. He managed to coerce the Hidden Mist Village to kidnap one of the boy's ex-teammates and love interest Rin Nohara and set up a ploy to kill her so that Obito would be more pliable._**

**_In the end, the plan worked, and the two Uchiha soon made plans to plunge the world into the Infinite Tsukuyomi. By this point, Madara's life was at an end, so he implanted one of the White Zetsu with his will, giving it a split personality and creating Black Zetsu, then passed on. Obito took up the man's name and began his campaign to unite the world under the massive Genjutsu, all in the name of Rin._**

Harry stopped reading at this point and thought about this Madara guy. The way he was described, he sounded a lot like Indra. Harry personally thought that this was a guy who would do anything to see himself in power, and that was something disgusting to the raven-haired wizard. He shook his head and continued reading.

**_While this was going on, a Third Shinobi World War had already begun. During its time, one major event happened: the Uzumaki Clan had been wiped out by the combined might of the Hidden Stone and the Hidden Cloud. And even then, the two hidden villages had lost nearly their entire armies to destroy the clan. However, a few Uzumaki had survived, and had scattered around the world, living as refugees. During the war, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, Hashirama's brother, died while protecting his team from an incredible ambush. He was a man that had been both respected and despised, the latter mainly by the Uchiha. Due to his history with and distrust of the Uchiha, he had separated them to a corner of the Village. To supposedly balance this, he had also made them the head of the Konoha Police Force, but many knew that this was also a ploy to paint them in an even worse light with the villagers, since police figures were almost never seen in a good light. Tobirama had named his student Hiruzen Sarutobi as his successor, and the new Third Hokage had subsequently led the Hidden Leaf to victory._**

**_Sometime after the Third World War, Obito's sensei Minato Namikaze, a widely feared man known as the Yellow Flash of Konoha due to his signature jutsu the Flying Thunder God, which allowed him to teleport anywhere he had placed a specialized seal, was named the Fourth Hokage. At this time, he was married to one of the few Uzumaki survivors, a woman by the name of Kushina Uzumaki. This redheaded woman had several special things about her: she had a special ability which allowed her to focus her chakra and mould it into physical, indestructible chains which could hold down even the strongest Tailed Beast; and she was the jinchūriki of said strongest Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tails. She was pregnant at the time with Minato's child, and couldn't be happier, but she was also apprehensive for the child's birth, since that would be the point where the seal holding the Nine-Tails would be at its weakest and would let the beast force itself free. For this reason, Minato would also be there to hold the seal together until the process was over._**

**_However, there was an unexpected wrench in their plan. Obito, knowing that Kushina held the Nine-Tails and was about to give birth, covered himself in a cloak and mask and snuck into the secret area where the birth was happening. He deftly killed the security and nurses and took the new-born baby hostage, forcing Minato to be separated from Kushina in order to save the child. Obito then proceeded to extract the Nine-Tails from Kushina and bend it to his will with his Sharingan. Minato managed to save Kushina before Obito killed her, but by then, Obito had already snuck into the village and summoned the Tailed Beast into the village to wreak havoc. (See illustration below)_**

Harry checked out the illustration of the attack and had to do a double take. The scene in the picture was exactly like in his dream! The Nine-Tails was in an attack pose, its tails swinging wildly (or so he imagined) while there were several ninja on their way to battle the beast.

**_The battle was a long and arduous one, and many ninja were lost. In the end, however, the Fourth Hokage had appeared and subdued the Nine-Tails, teleporting it away from the village. Once that was done, he had used a Sealing Jutsu known as the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, which summoned an entity known as the God of Death, to take his soul in exchange of a request. He requested that the God take half of the Nine-Tails' chakra and seal it into himself, then to take the other half and seal it into his son Naruto. The process was done, and in the end, both Minato and Kushina died, leaving Naruto as an orphan jinchūriki._**

**_Naruto's life as a child was very hard. Most of the villagers, believing him to be the Nine-Tails itself instead of its jailor due to their grief and rage, constantly belittled him, overcharged him at stores, ignored his existence, pulled their children away from him and told them not to associate with him, and sometimes even gathered together to beat him. He was forced out of the orphanage at six years old, and was given an apartment by the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had to take the mantle again due to the fact that the Fourth had died. Despite his new living arrangements, Naruto's life wasn't any easier. People constantly broke into his home and vandalized the outside of the apartment, to the point where he hardly went to it and preferred to be outside._**

Harry stopped here and rubbed his eyes, which had moistened slightly. Just reading that paragraph had caused some pain to erupt in his chest. He could sympathize with Naruto's life and struggles, although he realized that Naruto was a much bigger man than he if he could withstand an entire village hating him for something out of his control.

**_Despite all of this, however, he stayed strong and pure. He always had a smile on his face, declaring with a loud voice to everyone that he would become the Hokage one day. He soon developed the mind of a trickster, constantly pulling pranks on those who he believed deserved them, especially those that were biased against him. However, he wasn't averse to pulling a small prank on any unsuspecting person. _**

**_Soon, Naruto started at the ninja academy, but he found that it was the same story with many of the teachers as it was with the villagers. The only exception was a teacher named Iruka Umino. He was a nice teacher to everyone, having grown up similarly to Naruto, without parents and pulling pranks to garner people's attention. His parents had been killed in the Nine-Tails' attack, and at first, he treated Naruto with about as much scorn as the others. However, he soon came to realize that there was a kindred spirit in Naruto, and that the boy only wanted someone to acknowledge him. He soon came to befriend Naruto, patiently teaching him the lessons of the day and taking him out to eat ramen, which was Naruto's favourite and only food, every once in a while, although Naruto could easily run him dry. _**

**_Naruto, however, wasn't the smartest. He would never pay attention in school because he believed it to be boring, instead skipping class many times in order to pull pranks. Soon, however, that came to bite him, as he could not perform the standard Clone Jutsu in the final examination due to lacking the chakra control necessary. Due to being the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki since birth _****and ****_being of Uzumaki descent, thirteen year old Naruto had gigantic chakra reserves, more than anyone in the village, even the Hokage, but this meant that his chakra control was practically non-existent. He didn't have the control necessary for such a small jutsu and would probably have to practice chakra control for weeks in order to have it._**

**_After the Academy was let out that day, Naruto's other sensei Mizuki spoke to him about a secret test where if he stole the Scroll of Seals, a top-secret scroll that contained the most destructive and chakra taxing jutsu known to Konoha, and took it to a special destination, he could be passed. _****(Cue a raised eyebrow from Harry) ****_Naruto, excited at the prospect of being able to pass, did not realize that it was a trap and gladly took the "test". He managed to take the scroll after knocking out Hiruzen with a special Transformation jutsu of his creation, one he called the _****_Sexy Jutsu_********(Cue another raised eyebrow), ****_with which he transformed into a naked female that somehow had the ability to knock out men through their perverted tendencies. _**

Harry had to stop here and stifle his laughter. He knew that one could to nearly anything if one had enough chakra, but to create a transformation jutsu that caused men to be knocked out because they saw a naked female? Granted, said female probably had big knockers and a slim body, but still, that sounded ridiculous! And to think that the _Hokage _was taken down by it! With a chuckle and a shake of his head, he continued.

**_As he got to the site Mizuki had told him about, Naruto decided to learn a jutsu from the scroll. Almost ironically, the first jutsu he noticed was the Shadow Clone Jutsu, a jutsu that created solid copies of the user instead of intangible shadows like the standard Clone Jutsu. He managed to learn the jutsu, and unknowingly to him, the Shadow Clone Jutsu would soon become his trademark attack, one that only he could use continuously due to his gigantic chakra reserves._**

**_He was later found by Iruka, who had been combing the village in search of the blonde. When Naruto explained that Mizuki had told him about the "secret test", Iruka realized that Mizuki was a traitor. It was a moment too late, however, as Mizuki had arrived moments after Iruka and attacked him. He shocked Naruto by telling him that he was the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, then tried to kill him, only to be stopped by Iruka. When Naruto heard Iruka say that he was not the Nine-Tails itself but only its jailor and that he believed in the boy, Naruto reacted and used his new jutsu to create nearly one thousand clones of himself, a feat that would have killed anyone but him. With the new manpower, Naruto decimated Mizuki and was rewarded by Iruka with a Hidden Leaf headband, marking him as a shinobi of the Leaf Village._**

**_Naruto went through many adventures in his life. Along with his team, he helped bring a country back to prosperity. He managed to stop the rampage of the One-Tail Tanuki when he was released near the Hidden Leaf. He helped bring back Tsunade Senju, a woman on par with Hiruzen Sarutobi, in order for her to become the Fifth Hokage, despite her initial vehemence against it. He soon became a very powerful ninja after battling with the Nine-Tails inside his body and reaching an understanding with it. The Nine-Tails, having seen the boy's entire life while he was sealed inside him, was unwillingly impressed with the boy. He came to see that not all humans were hateful, especially not the boy he was sealed into. When he realized this, he extended a hand of friendship towards Naruto, one that the blonde took willingly, and finally told Naruto of his true name: Kurama._**

**_But dark times were ahead. Obito, going by the name of Madara Uchiha, had started an organization known as the Akatsuki, whose goal was to gather all of the Tailed Beasts in order to revive the Ten-Tails. Seven of the nine Tailed Beasts had already been acquired, and with two small parts of both Gyūki's and Kurama's chakra, Obito had managed to bring back the Ten-Tails. In the ensuing battle, the five different ninja nations banded together to form a single alliance, one that would battle Akatsuki and its plans. The combined might of Naruto and Kurama was nearly enough to turn the tide of battle, but soon the Ten-Tails matured and became the God Tree once again. The real Madara Uchiha, having been revived earlier by an unwilling Obito, who had seen the error of his ways thanks to Naruto, decided to take this time and absorb the rest of the Tailed Beasts and the God Tree, becoming an entity that hadn't been seen in centuries: another Sage of Six Paths. With this power, he managed to activate his final attack: The Infinite Tsukuyomi, which trapped nearly everyone in the world._**

**_Naruto and his teammate Sasuke Uchiha, who were both dying at this point (Naruto by having Kurama forcefully pulled out of his body; Sasuke by a sword stab through the heart due to Madara), met with a chakra entity of the original Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo. The man separated the incredible powers of the Sage into both boys, granting Naruto the body of the Sage and Sasuke with a Rinnegan eye. With these new abilities, the boys battled Madara to a standstill. Once it was clear that he would not win, however, Black Zetsu suddenly appeared and stabbed him through the heart, revealing that he was not under Madara's will but Kaguya's instead. After causing a metamorphosis on Madara, Black Zetsu initiated a jutsu that revived the world's worst menace: Kaguya Ootsuki herself, now empowered by the Ten-Tails' chakra. _**

**_Naruto and Sasuke, along with her teammates, were almost defeated by the woman, but through several plans and traps, they manage to activate the Planetary Devastation attack and seal her in a new moon. _**

**_After the deed, however, Sasuke declared that he planned to kill all of the large figures of the world and create a new world for everyone, a goal similar to Madara's. Naruto, unwilling to let such a thing happen, battles Sasuke. It is unknown what transpired in the battle, but eventually, Naruto came out victorious, and with the help of the nine Tailed Beasts, he managed to undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi and free everyone, thus ending the Fourth Shinobi World War. _**

**_Time passed, and humanity thrived. The Shinobi Alliance lasted long, and for a while, people were content. However, that changed when a new clan appeared: a clan of people without chakra. Battles between those with and without chakra were prevalent. The people without chakra used highly advanced technology to combat the ninja._**

**_Soon enough, humanity was brought to the brink of extinction. After a particularly brutal battle, only a few humans were left alive. Among these ninja was Naruto, who was nearing the end of his time. He passed on much of his teachings to his descendants, but many of these were born without chakra, so they merely dismissed them as fictional stories. Those that knew the truth, however, took upon themselves the mantle of protectors. As time passed, there were less and less chakra wielders in the world, until it came down to only one person. _**

**_Me._**

**_Lily Evans Uzumaki._**

**_I am the last chakra wielder that I know of, as well as the last Uzumaki. _**

**_I hope that whoever reads this understands the story behind chakra, and if you are a chakra wielder, that you train well, and continue the mantle of protector that I once had._**

**_Signed…_**

**_Lily Evans Uzumaki._**

Harry rubbed his sore eyes and closed the book. That had been an interesting tale indeed. He would have to keep it in mind. But for now, sleep was calling for him. He turned and placed the book, along with the letters and inheritance scroll, snugly inside his bag. With a rustle of sheets and whispered incantation, the lights went off and he promptly fell into slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

If anyone were to walk into Room Eleven of the Leaky Cauldron at around noon on the 30th of August, they would have come to one of the strangest sights ever.

Currently sitting cross-legged, upside down _on the ceiling_, was a bushy-haired girl, looking to be no more than twelve years old or so. Said girl broke the laws of the world even further with two actions: her hair and clothes were not falling to the pull of gravity as they should, and her outfit seemed to be changing every three seconds or so in a small explosion of smoke.

Unfortunately for the **Henge**'d Harry Potter currently on the ceiling, the real Hermione Granger chose that very moment to walk into his room and subsequently stare with a gobsmacked expression as her younger doppelganger went through several outfits, ranging from the standard Gryffindor uniform to a skimpy schoolgirl's uniform to a not-so-conservative two piece bathing suit (if it could be called that, thought Hermione, since it seemed to be merely triangular patches of fabric with some rope to tie them together) before her voice finally returned... with a vengeance.

"BLOODY HELL?!"

With a startled yelp, the Hermione on the ceiling suddenly fell to the floor in a heap, drawing a loud thud from the floor and a moan of pain from the doppelganger's mouth.

Turning slightly so that he was lying on his back, Harry opened his eyes only to see an angry Hermione Granger standing over him with her arms crossed and her foot tapping against the floor next to his head. While she wasn't wearing a skirt, the jeans she had on weren't too loose...

Shaking his head to get rid of those thoughts, Harry adopted a sheepish expression and released the **Henge**, returning to his regular self and coincidently forgetting that all he had on under the transformation jutsu were... well, boxers.

As such, Hermione ended up a blushing mess as her doppelganger exploded into smoke only to be replaced by the nearly naked form of her best friend Harry. Unconsciously, her eyes flew all over his form. Were those developing abs? Since when did Harry have muscles? Were his boxers slightly raised at the middle...?

Her examination was cut short when Harry stood up and faced her, his sheepish expression still in place. She was only vaguely aware that he was scratching the back of his head in an embarrassed manner.

"Sorry about that, 'Mione," Harry said, "I was a little lost in my practicing."

"Duly noted," Hermione said shortly, "Any reason why I saw my younger self in a bathing suit sitting on the ceiling?"

"Ah, that... Well..." Hermione's raised eyebrow told him that she'd accept nothing but the truth, and unfortunately for him, he could never deny her. "I was practicing a little skill of mine called a Henge. It's used to transform into nearly anything and, well..." Here his face heated up and the scratching of the back of his head returned, "You were kind of the first thing on my mind when I tried it. You have no idea how strange that felt at first."

Hermione blushed slightly as well when he mentioned that she was the first thing on his mind, but continued her questioning, "And how does this 'Henge' work?"

Harry smirked and looked her over, taking in her hair, which now seemed more curly than bushy; her cream jacket over a plain black t-shirt, combined with jeans and black sneakers; and finally her other features, such as eye colour, unblemished skin, breast size, length of arms and legs, and so on and so forth. Hermione bit her lower lip as Harry walked around her once, taking everything in, before stopping in front of her and doing three strange motions with his hands. After the last one, he was covered in an explosion of smoke which startled her. The smoke dissipated fairly quickly, and soon enough, she was left staring in wonder again when a perfect replica of her was standing merely a foot away from her.

"Well?" Harry asked with her voice, "How does it look?"

Hermione walked around him, studying him up and down, before nodding and saying, "Impressive. You got everything down perfectly."

Harry smiled sheepishly and said, "Well almost everything. This is only a representation what I could see."

Hermione nodded in understanding. He wouldn't be able to, say, copy her bra colour or design since he couldn't see it.

In another explosion of smoke, Harry was back to his old self. He fixed Hermione with a critical eye and said, "By the way, have you ever heard of knocking? What if I was actually naked when you came in?"

Hermione laughed and said cheekily, "I did knock, several times as a matter of fact. I guess you were too busy imagining me in a bathing suit to notice."

Harry blushed and stammered, "Yeah, about that, I'm sorry-"

"It's ok, Harry," Hermione interrupted, "To tell you the truth, I'm quite flattered."

Harry grinned and said, "Well, that's good. Now," he turned to his suitcase and kicked it open, "I'd like to get dressed... in private, thank you."

Hermione smirked and said playfully, "Why? Afraid I might see something... embarrassing?"

Harry turned to her with a similar smirk and began to sensually slide his boxers down as he said in a husky voice, "No, I'm afraid you may see something you... _like..._"

Harry's laugh followed her as she bolted from the room in a stuttering mess.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

Hermione sat on a small booth in the Leaky Cauldron, staring down at the small cup of tea she'd ordered and pondering the change in her best friend. Where had this side of Harry come from? She'd never seen him display such flirtiness with her before. However, she noted that she very much liked it when it was directed at her. It felt very flattering that one of her best friends might see her in that light.

_'Get a hold of yourself, Granger! Yes, Harry may be your best friend and, yes, he has every quality of a great man, but think! Why would he ever like the bucktooth bookworm of Hogwarts when girls will most likely be throwing themselves at him when we get back to...? Oh my...'_

Hermione's inner self-esteem rant was cut short when she looked up and noticed that Harry had finally come down from his room. And boy, did he look fantastic! He must have done some clothes shopping during his stay here, and not just in Diagon Alley.

He was currently wearing suit. An actual striped black tuxedo. Where and how he got it, Hermione didn't know, but damn if it didn't fit Harry like a glove! He had a white shirt underneath it, with a red tie and polished black shoes finishing off the look. The jacket was currently unbuttoned, leaving the two flaps behind his arms as he put his hands inside his pants pockets and walked with a sure gait towards her.

"Milady..." Harry greeted, grabbing her hand softly and leaving a ghost of a kiss on it before sitting himself across from her.

Hermione was so stunned at his new attitude that she couldn't react for about five seconds, most of which were taken up so that the image of Harry in a suit kissing her hand and calling her 'Milady' as if she were royalty would be burned into her memory so badly it would cause first-degree burns on her skull.

Harry, for his part, mentally smirked as he noticed Hermione blush in thirteen different shades of red, if that was even possible. He congratulated himself on following his mother's advice on clothing and etiquette. It seemed to have rather positive results.

He also had to thank his father for his marvellous dating and seduction tactics.

"What's wrong, _'Mione_?" He asked, almost purring her nickname.

Hermione was startled back to reality and stammered, "N-nothing, Harry, nothing at all..."

Harry chuckled at her response and decided to give her some down time by calling over the waitress and asking for a cup of tea for himself. As Hermione calmed her racing heartbeat, she also began to organize her questions.

The waitress soon arrived with the tea, giving Harry a wide and happy smile, which he returned. As soon as Harry had taken a sip, Hermione began.

"So, Harry, not that I mind, but what's with the new attitude? I mean, the last time we talked, you were a little boy with a messy bowl cut that was rather antisocial to anyone that wasn't me or Ron."

Harry smiled and put down his cup. "I knew it wouldn't be long until the questionnaire started. Very well, 'Mione, I'll indulge you. You see, about five days ago..."

With that, Harry gave her a basic rundown of what had happened in the last five days, explaining about the incident at Privet Drive all the way until the story of the Elemental Nations and the world of Naruto.

"... So, the day after I read my mother's explanation and story, I decided to take things a lot more seriously. My parents trusted me with this power, and I won't disappoint them. Therefore, I did away with all of my cousin's clothes and burned those with a quickly learned Fire Release Jutsu. Afterwards, I got quite a bit of money out and bought myself an entirely new wardrobe. You have no idea how happy the saleswoman at the store was when she heard that I was getting an entire makeover. As it turns out, the exchange rate from wizarding money to muggle money is quite high, so I was able to get everything I needed with about half the amount I'd taken out. So I decided to pamper myself a bit and bought myself some higher quality clothing, like the suit I'm wearing at the moment. It was a rather good idea, for when I came back and started to go further into the scrolls letters my parents left me in the inheritance scroll, I noticed that both of my parents had left me letters, one each, on proper etiquette and everything dealing with it. I assume they expected me to unlock my chakra and read the letters at a young age. And since then, I've been training myself, increasing my physical strength, as you've seen, while also working on my chakra control and some of the basic jutsu that my parents explained almost everyone started with, which are the Transformation Jutsu, the Replacement Technique, and the Clone Jutsu. The transformation is self-explanatory. As you saw, I can use it to transform myself into nearly anyone or anything. The more chakra I use, the more physically changed I will be. So if I use a lot of chakra, I could be indistinguishable from the original through most means, such as weight. I managed to master the Replacement Technique yesterday, as a matter of fact. It simply allows me to replace myself with any object. The larger it is, the more chakra it consumes, while the smaller the object, the more control I will need. It's a real life saver, especially in a long-distance fight. The Clone Jutsu, however, I haven't been able to even do due to the fact that, as a descendant of the Uzumaki, my life force is unnaturally high, which in turn makes my chakra capacity massive. The only problem is that by having so much chakra, my control is practically piss. So I've been doing chakra control exercises. Well, just one really. It is called Tree Walking, although it could really be used with any solid surface. The only reason it's called that is because it's easier to attach to a tree due to the fact that they're alive and produce their own chakra, to which mine can bond with and allow me to stick. With inanimate objects, I have to push my chakra deep into it in order to stick to the surface, but I've improved considerably so it isn't an issue. And there you have it, 'Mione. That's my story."

Hermione sat back and looked up at the ceiling, slightly wide eyes remembering everything Harry had just said. It seemed unreal. Impossible, even. But, then again, at his age Harry had already shattered many impossible thoughts, such as surviving a Killing Curse and killing a basilisk with a sword. To think that he had a completely separate power source in his body wasn't all that impossible for him.

"That… You have to admit, it sounds a little crazy, Harry."

"I know, 'Mione," Harry responded, "But you saw it with your own eyes. I'd need much more magical power and focus than I currently have to be able to stick to the ceiling like I was, wouldn't you agree?"

Hermione nodded and asked a question that had been burning in her mind, "So, can anyone use chakra?"

Harry shook his head. "No, it isn't that simple. It seems there are very few people left in the world who are descendants of ninja, me being one of them. And I have no actual idea on how to check if someone has chakra."

Hermione pouted a bit but had to admit that he was right.

Harry looked at his watch and said, "It's nearly 2 in the afternoon. You never did tell me why you're here, by the way. I assume you aren't buying your school supplies this late."

Hermione nodded and said, "I was actually on my way to Flourish and Blotts to pick up some more books. Turns out I'm taking more classes than most of our classmates."

Harry nodded and stood, offering his hand to Hermione (who accepted it gracefully) and helping her up before walking with her into Diagon Alley. As they walked down the alley, Hermione couldn't help but notice that almost everyone that passed them gave Harry more than one cursory glance. Hell, she could see several girls, from second years to even fifth and sixth years, who were eyeing her friend with blushed faces and excited chattering. Hermione could practically picture the hearts in their eyes, and it sickened her. But more than that, it gave her a strange feeling of… overprotectiveness. Almost as if she wanted to cover Harry from these women. What she didn't think of was that her thoughts had unconsciously led her body, as she had taken a hold of Harry's left hand but hadn't noticed, as caught up as she was in her thoughts.

Harry did notice, but merely smiled and held her hand contently. He could see several of the girls deflate at the sight and a few even give Hermione light glares, but he ignored them and focused on his best friend.

As they reached Flourish and Blotts, Hermione walked in while practically dragging Harry over to several sections. He smirked and went along willingly, looking this way and that at the presented books. He could see several interesting tomes, but one in specific caught his attention as they passed the History section.

It was titled **A History on Familial Abilities.** Harry released Hermione's hand at this point (which drew a small whine of unhappiness from her) and brought the book out. It was rather small, which told him that there weren't many oddities in the magical world. With a shrug, he opened it to the first chapter.

_**Familial abilities are certain attributes that are passed down through blood. Much like diseases can be passed from parent to child, so can inherent abilities that the parent may possess, even if the ability is dormant. Abilities such as a certain amount of control over an element, instinctual augmentation of an attribute with magic, or even a larger than normal magical core. While the parent may not have the attribute, it may trigger in the child. **_

Harry re-read this piece over and over, then closed the book and put it under his arm, intending to study it more. He turned, only to now notice that Hermione had wandered off. Sighing in amusement, he walked around and scanned the number of shelves in the store, catching sight of curly brown hair a few rows away. He quickly walked over and found Hermione in the Runes section, taking out a book and placing it in a neat pile that was at her feet. With some effort, the girl knelt and hoisted the stack of books up. Harry's eyebrow raised in wonder. That was a rather large pile of books, being over a full head and shoulders bigger than the girl, and he hadn't even left her alone for five minutes. With a chuckle, he walked up and took over half of the books in his hands, throwing the girl slightly off balance.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed as loud as she could while still whispering, "You startled the hell out of me."

Harry chuckled again and followed her to a few more sections, where she picked up several more books, before they finally went to the register.

Once the total was brought up, Hermione's eyes widened. She had taken all the books she needed for her extra classes (as well as quite a few others for 'light reading') but she had not looked at the prices, and unfortunately, the amount was more than she had on her at the moment.

Harry, noticing her distress and knowing how she'd feel if she had to leave a book behind, reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag full of coins. Counting out the amount, he put it on the counter, surprising Hermione.

"Harry, no! No way! I can always leave a book or two and come get them later," Hermione exclaimed, although her eyes betrayed her thoughts about that idea.

Harry merely turned and smiled at her, saying, "Yes, you could, but I know how you normally feel in those circumstances, so this one's on me."

Hermione stared at the boy with a challenging look, one that Harry met without problems. They stood there staring at each other for what felt like minutes until Hermione finally relented and looked away with a pout. Harry smiled victoriously until she said, "Then I'm paying for half."

Harry tsk'ed and said, "Ah, ah, ah, no way, miss. I already said I'd cover it."

"Forty-five percent?"

Harry stared at her with a smirk.

"Thirty percent."

Stare.

"Fifteen percent!"

That. Damn. STARE!

"Fine!"

Harry smirked and told the cashier to take the money, which the man was already in the process of. Noticing Hermione's disgruntled expression and crossed arms, he walked behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, whispering in her ear, "Oh, come on, 'Mione, I'm more than happy to get you something like this. Consider it a gift, aye?"

Hermione turned and regarded Harry with a smile before saying, "Fine, Harry, but that means you can't get me anything for my birthday, since this is your gift."

Harry smirked at her words and responded, "Fine then. I guess I'll just have to give you your Christmas gift a few months early."

Hermione's mouth opened in retort, but Harry merely placed a finger on her lips, silencing her. His smirk turned into a gentle smile and he said, "Please, Hermione." When she still looked unsure, he said in a sing-song voice, "Plus, I have a little surprise for you when we get back to the Leaky Cauldron."

Hermione sighed in an exasperated tone but relented. Harry picked up one of the large bags while Hermione took another, and with that they left the store.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

The pair returned to Harry's room and organized the books that Hermione had gotten. As the bushy-haired girl put an astronomy book in the pile for school material, she asked Harry, "By the way, what was that book that you were carrying earlier?"

Harry looked at her in confusion for a second before smacking his forehead and saying, "Ah, Merlin-Damnit, I forgot to bring the book!"

Hermione chuckled at his actions and simply patted him on the head as if he were a cat, saying, "There, there, we can't all be geniuses."

Harry smirked and responded, "Well, maybe you can, beautiful, but you're essentially correct."

Hermione's face heated up once again, and she forced herself to turn back to her pile of books in order to get her blush under control. By doing this, she missed the smile that flitted across Harry's face, one that was smug at first but became sadder in seconds before he too focused on his things. Truthfully, he didn't want to just ask her out of the blue to be his girlfriend, but damn if it wasn't tempting. As he organized some things in his suitcase, he began to go over their friendship.

While it was true that he hadn't been all that friendly with her during their first year, in large part thanks to Ron's apathetic attitude towards the girl, he had to admit that she had passed through his thoughts on many occasions, sometimes (and he would never admit this to anybody) being the subject of quite a few dreams. After they had become friends and subsequently best friends, not to mention as they grew together in Hogwarts, Harry found himself dwelling more and more on his best female friend, his thoughts and dreams about her taking on a more mature aspect. While he was awake at night or perhaps alone in the library, he'd come to ponder just why his thoughts were so focused on his best friend. So he began to make a sort-of list of the aspects of their bond: They got along incredibly well; knew each other so well that they could practically finish each other's thoughts and sentences; helped each other out in their worst moments; and had similar tastes and dislikes. He then went on to think about what he liked about her, and could only sum it up as 'everything'. The way she acted, talked, smiled, walked, etc. He would feel extremely sad whenever he saw her in a bad mood or when she was feeling self-deprecating because she believed that nobody liked her, which had thankfully only happened before the entire troll incident in their first year. He also knew that he thought of her as beautiful. He liked her physical aspects, yes, but her mind was what he believed made her the truly great woman she was now.

And it hadn't been until two days after he read his parents' letters and studied their words that he came to realize that he had fallen in love with her.

Now, while his childhood hadn't been the greatest, he did know what many people described love as, considering his best friends as a child were the books from a nearby library. He would often read about stories where loving relationships bloomed from long friendships. Harry had been quite startled at the realization that he had truly had a case of love at first sight. And that love had only deepened, confusing the boy, who hadn't had much love in his life to begin with. But as he interacted with his friends, his teachers, and the older students (minus some obvious exceptions) he began to see just how people intermingled with one another. He especially began to notice the older boys of Gryffindor act strange and goofy around girls he knew they liked, and was rather perplexed at this. But after some time of looking at the pairs, he began to notice that they would eventually become closer, the girl normally finding herself comfortable with the boy, who would become equally comfortable around her. And soon enough, he would see them as couples, walking up and down the castle hand in hand, sharing kisses and tight hugs, and going into empty broom closets more than once.

This was why he always wondered: would that ever happen to him? And if so, with who? This question was often followed by an image of Hermione, face glowing with happiness. Recently, he had also began seeing her running towards him and hugging the life out of him like she had done at the end of second year, after she had been de-petrified.

That thought always brought happy tingles to his body, as odd as that phrase sounded to him.

He was broken out of his musings when he heard a small groan of weariness. He looked up and noticed that Hermione was done and was currently leaning back against the headboard of the bed, her right hand rubbing the opposite shoulder blade.

"Tense, 'Mione?" Harry asked.

"You have no idea," Hermione responded with another groan, "It's never easy to get so many books, and because of that I've been getting serious shoulder pain lately."

Harry smiled.

"Then I think it's time I give you your surprise," he said cryptically.

Hermione eyed him and asked, "What are you planning, Harry?"

"Now, now, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it?" Harry asked cheekily.

Hermione groaned.

"Just take off your jacket and lay on your stomach. I'll handle the rest," Harry instructed. Hermione grudgingly did so, taking a pillow and putting it under her head before fully laying down.

To her surprise, she felt Harry get on the bed as well and kneel above her, straddling her waist. Before she could question what the hell he was doing, he put his hands on her upper back... and began massaging it.

Whatever she was going to say was drowned out in a moan of ecstasy that she didn't know she could make, but it wasn't as if she could help it. Harry was softly massaging her shoulders and back, all the way down to the waistline, with a rhythm and precision that had her moaning and mewling in happiness and bliss. Not only that, but she noticed that Harry's hands were rather warm, and this warmth transferred over to her skin and muscles with every touch, making her muscles relax even more.

Harry, for his part, was glad she was enjoying it. Truthfully, he had been a little afraid he would mess up, since this was only his second time doing this, the first being when he gave the waitress one when he noticed she was rather tense that day. With a little practice and some good perception skills, however, he soon understood which parts of Hermione were the tensest and focused on them, undoing the knots in her muscles while using some chakra to relax the muscles even further.

After several minutes, Harry turned Hermione over so that she was laying on her back and began to massage her arms, legs, and stomach, further sending her into bliss. Hermione had already decided to get Harry to do this as much as possible. Despite the fact that she rarely showed it, carrying a bag with all of her books and materials was no easy task, and it normally left her with serious pain in her arms, shoulders, back, and sometimes her legs as well. She had gone once or twice to a masseuse to get the tension taken out of her body, but it hadn't lasted very long. However, she was sure that she wouldn't have to worry about any pain for a long time if the feeling of her body was any indication.

Once some time had passed, Harry finally released his chakra and took his hands away, oddly drawing no sound from Hermione. He looked up at her, only to chuckle as he noticed her blissfully asleep face. It seemed that his calm chakra and rhythmic massage had sent her right into dreamland. He checked the clock and noticed that it was hardly three in the afternoon, so he decided to let her sleep, merely taking off her shoes and socks, then picking her up and adjusting her position so she would be more comfortable. He covered her up to her waist with a blanket, then sat on a nearby chair, watching her calm face and the constant rise and fall of her chest. With a sigh, he walked out of the room to make a call.

_**0o0o0o0o0o0 Several Hours Later 0o0o0o0o0o0**_

With a yawn, Hermione's eyes opened and she stretched her body, slowly sitting up. That had been, without a doubt, one of the best nights of sleep she could remember having. She slowly focused on her surroundings and finally noticed several odd things, like the fact that it was still night-time and that she wasn't in her room. She was about to start panicking until she remembered that this was the room Harry was residing in in the Leaky Cauldron, and that she had fallen asleep during the marvellous massage he had given her some hours before. Looking at the clock, she was startled to notice that it was nearly midnight!

She was about to jump out of bed when the door of the room opened and Harry stepped in, still wearing his suit, only without the jacket. He noticed her looking at him and said jokingly, "Ah, so the sleeping beauty finally awakens, eh? I was just thinking that if you were still asleep when I got back, I'd have to give you a heartfelt kiss in order to wake you."

Hermione blushed at the mental image but decided to play along and said, "Well, what was stopping you? After such a massage, I think a wake-up kiss would have been the cherry on top of the ice-cream cone."

Harry smirked deviously and walked forward, putting one knee on the bed and putting his face dangerously close to hers. Hermione's breath and heart rate picked up as she glanced surreptitiously at Harry's slightly parted lips, which were currently smirking. Just one centimetre. Just a single centimetre and…

Harry moved closer, bypassing her face and putting his cheek against hers, his lips near her ear.

"I'm sure you'd love that, wouldn't you, princess?" Harry breathed out, his husky voice sending shivers of delight down Hermione's spine. He lightly kissed her neck and jawline, making her moan slightly, then, without warning, moved back and stood over her, getting a moan of frustration and a heated glare from the girl.

"Harry! That's not fair!" Hermione yelled out, throwing a pillow at the young man, who effortlessly caught it and spun it around his hand.

"All's fair in love and war, milady," Harry winked, "Now come on, you need to get up. I'm sure you noticed that it's already midnight."

Hermione grumbled but acquiesced, standing up and shivering slightly when her bare feet touched the cold wood of the floor. That's when a thought came to her mind that had her freeze for a completely different reason.

"Oh no, my parents are going to kill me for being out this late!"

She was about to run and get her shoes when Harry's hand on her shoulder stopped her, making her look back at his smiling face.

"Calm yourself, 'Mione. I already called your parents to let them know you were a little tired and decided to take a nap. They told me to tell you to call them as soon as you woke up."

Hermione sighed and gave Harry a quick hug, thankful for his foresight. Harry gladly hugged her back, then said, "Now here, I brought you a towel and some essentials so you can bathe here if you want. Do you want to sleep here?"

Hermione nodded with a smile then took the items and went into the bathroom. It wasn't the cleanest, but for a place such as the Leaky Cauldron, it was rather nice. She immediately opened the water to let it flow and heat up as she undressed and set the essentials nearby. She quickly went in, smiling as she felt the heat of the water. As she lathered herself up and washed her hair, her thoughts once again went to her best friend. The way he had acted not five minutes ago flabbergasted her, but they had also left her with a hunger… for him. It was strange for the bookworm. She had never had such advances made upon her, but as a girl going through puberty, she could tell that the mere thought of Harry was making her hormones act up. Not to mention that the massage he had given her had opened a fire in her belly, one that wasn't easy for her to douse.

At the same time, she had _seriously_ wanted Harry to kiss her moments ago. He had been so close… and yet, he had not done so, something that honestly surprised the girl.

If there was one thing she was now sure of, however, was that she wanted Harry… badly.

She finished up her shower moments later and stepped out, towelling her hair off rapidly and then wrapping it around herself. She took a small towel that was hanging on a rack and wrapped her hair in it. Finally, she picked up her clothes and was about to walk out before pausing and realizing that she… had no clothes other than the ones she had on her hands at the moment.

As if to answer her thoughts, she heard a knock on the door and Harry's voice called out, "Hey, 'Mione, I have some extra clothes here for you if you'd like."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and walked out of the bathroom, noticing that Harry was currently lying down on the bed, his feet dangling over the sides and his hands under his head. He sat up when he heard her come out, and immediately froze at the sight of a slightly wet Hermione Granger in a towel that truly wasn't all that big. His eyes drank up the sight as if it were the last time, making Hermione blush self-consciously. She was then stunned when Harry uttered two words that she hadn't heard anyone but her parents say:

"So… beautiful…"

That was the breaking point. The heat that was leftover from the massage, the way he continuously teased her, the way her hormones acted up around him, and now this… She couldn't take it anymore.

Without a word, she launched herself at a surprised Harry (mindless of the fact that she was only wearing a towel), wrapped her arms around his neck as they both fell back on the bed, and latched onto his lips with hers, snogging him for all she was worth. Harry, while startled at first, quickly understood what was going on and eagerly reciprocated, kissing her back to the best of his ability while wrapping his arms around her back. Hermione moved so that she was fully straddling Harry and put one hand in his hair, grabbing his soft locks while still snogging him.

Harry was lost in his own little world, but not so much that he was not aware of his surroundings. This was something that he had drilled into himself due to his training. Because of this, he noticed when Hermione's free hand rose up her body and went for the knot of her towel, and that was his cue to cut the fun.

Despite his senses screaming at him to not stop, Harry forced himself to break the lip lock, drawing a whine from Hermione, and put a hand on top of Hermione's left hand, stopping her from opening her towel. Despite the fact that the more primal side of him wanted desperately to see what was under that towel, his more logical mind was telling him that Hermione was under the effect of serious hormones and may regret what she might do now.

He was aware that Hermione was now staring at him, and he said, "Hermione, slow down."

Despite her mind also telling her that she had to, Hermione's more hormonal side took this the wrong way and tears gathered in her eyes as she said, "Why, Harry? Do you truly think I'm not attractive enough?"

Harry sighed and wrapped her in his arms, saying, "It's not that, 'Mione, and you know it. I know that you're thinking with your hormones and not your mind at the moment, and I don't want you to do something you might regret later."

Hermione smiled against his chest and said, "You truly are a great man, Harry. I can't imagine any other thirteen year old boy that would turn down a chance for a shag."

"Yes, well," Harry chuckled, "You know me. I like to think of others before myself. And I think of you over everyone else, 'Mione."

Hermione giggled and moved up, kneeling over Harry and saying, "I have to say this. I don't know when I'll have another chance at this."

With a deep breath, she said, "I think I love you, Harry Potter."

Harry was a little stunned, but inside he suddenly felt a blooming happiness on his heart. He leaned up and put a hand on her cheek, which she leaned against happily, and whispered, "I don't think I love you… I _know _I love you, Hermione Granger."

Hermione's tears returned, although this time, it was for a much happier reason. She leaned down and lightly kissed him again, an action Harry reciprocated softly.

With a happy sigh, both parties broke the kiss to get air. Hermione smiled down at Harry, a smile that turned mischievous as she said, "Now, you do know that I'm in a towel, correct? Mind getting out so I can get dressed?"

Harry chuckled and said, "And with what clothes, exactly?"

Hermione realized her plight but said, "I thought you said you had clothes for me."

"I do," Harry responded, motioning to a nearby chair that had a plain white shirt and some black shorts, along with a simple pair of panties on top, "The shirt and shorts are actually mine, but I did buy the panties for you at a nearby muggle store."

Hermione gave him an odd look and said, "And how exactly do you know my size for panties?"

Harry chuckled and said, "Truthfully? I guessed."

Hermione giggled and lightly punched his chest, saying, "You're ridiculous, Harry. Now, isn't it your turn to shower?"

Harry nodded with a smile and stood up suddenly, taking Hermione with him. The girl yelped as she was suddenly lifted into the air, wrapping her arms and legs tightly around Harry as a reflex. Harry blushed a little when Hermione's not-so-small chest was pressed against his own, and he softly let her down, then picked up his towel and essentials and walked into the bathroom. Hermione smiled as she put on the clothes Harry had laid out (marvelling at Harry's ability to guess; the panties were soft and comfortable, an almost perfect fit) and flopped onto the bed with a large smile on her face. A small, amused bark drew her attention towards the window, where Hedwig was perched. The snowy owl was sitting on the windowsill, her head shaking as if in amusement.

"Oh, hello, Hedwig," Hermione said.

_Bark!_

"Why, yes, Harry and I are an item now… I think."

_Bark, bark!_

"Well, I have to ask him, but he did say he loves me, so…"

_Bark!_

"Yeah, well, who asked you?"

_Bark, bark, bark!_

"Hedwig!"

A chuckle drew her attention back to the room. It seemed that Harry was done with his shower, as he was standing at the foot of the bed, shaking his head in amusement. It was Hermione's turn to drink up his image: developing abs, muscled arms, wet and spiky hair, and missing glasses that allowed his striking green eyes to be seen in full view.

She loved it all.

"Am I witnessing my girlfriend and owl arguing with each other?" Harry asked good-naturedly.

Hermione blushed and chucked a pillow at him, one that he once again caught without a problem. She looked on as he undid the towel around his waist, showing that he was already in his boxers (which were a little tight, if her eyes weren't deceiving her), then went on to put on some shorts and a shirt, similar to her own outfit. That was when she realized that, if she was going to sleep here, where was Harry going to sleep?

Harry smiled when she voiced this and said, "I'm gonna take that chair right there."

Hermione stared at the chair, which was rather wooden and did not look comfortable at all, then at Harry, then back to the chair, then back to Harry.

"Oh hell no!"

Harry laughed out loud at her proclamation, holding his sides as his stomach began to hurt. When the laugh finally subsided, he looked on as Hermione lifted the covers of the bed and motioned for Harry to get under them.

"You're sleeping right here, mister! You've already done a lot for me, I'm not going to begrudge you your own bed."

"But, Hermione…" Harry said, a little taken aback at how easily she decided to share the bed with him.

Hermione smiled up at Harry, already guessing his thoughts and saying, "I trust you, Harry. I always have. Go ahead."

Harry thought it over for a moment then nodded and slowly got under the covers, leaning back against the headboard for a moment as he was wont to do recently. Hermione watched his face go through several emotions before he laid back and put his hands under his head. He looked over at Hermione with a smirk and said, "Would you like a good night kiss, milady?"

Hermione smiled and responded, "That would cap off the night marvellously."

Harry smiled as she leaned over him and captured his lips with hers. The kiss was soft and tender, meant to show the emotion and trust both parties had for one another over the nearly three years of friendship. As the kiss broke, Hermione laid down on Harry's left arm and leaned her head on his chest, closing her eyes in content. Harry smiled at the action and wrapped his left arm around her shoulders, pulling her tightly against him and leaning his chin on her head softly.

"Good night, 'Mione."

"Good night, Harry."

It was several moments later when Harry muttered, "Did you remember to call your parents?"

Hermione sleepily responded, "I'll call them tomorrow morning and pretend I slept all night. Too sleepy right now…"

Harry chuckled and kissed the top of her head before he laid his head back down and fell asleep. Smiles were adorning the faces of both teens.

Overall, it was a great day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, here's the third chapter. Two heads up:**

**1) This chapter is short, a.k.a. it's merely a transition chapter until the two main chars get back to Hogwarts (or at least the train)**

**2) This has a lime scene... so you know, there's that.**

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

The next morning, Hermione was the first to wake up. Having slept quite a bit the day before, she hadn't needed much sleep to begin with.

She noticed that she was lying on something that was rhythmically moving and, looking up, became aware that it was the chest of one Harry Potter, who was sleeping soundly next to her (read: wrapped around her). She smiled at his calm visage and looked down to check the time on the nearby table only for her eyes to notice a bulge under the covers. Said eyes widened with glee and some apprehension when she figured out just what part of Harry that was. Her first thought was to try and prod it, but then she thought better of it and slowly sat up, trying to make sure that she didn't wake him. It was a futile effort, however, as Harry's eyes opened as soon as the covers shifted.

He sat up and looked around for a second before focusing on Hermione and grinning, saying, "Morning, love."

_'Love, huh... I like the way that sounds,' _Hermione thought happily as she responded, "Good morning to you too."

Harry smiled and quickly kissed her before asking, "Would you like to shower first?"

Hermione, being in a slightly teasing mood this morning, said in a sly voice, "Why, do you think you'll take much longer trying to get rid of some... _tension_?" Her eyes flickering back and forth from his face to his morning erection gave her thoughts away to the raven-haired young man.

"Would you be surprised if I said yes?" Harry said in a deadpan voice, making Hermione nearly fall off the bed in laughter. She kept chuckling as she stood, deciding to stretch her body.

As she stretched her arms up as high as they could go, she heard Harry whistle lowly and then say, "Man, if I get to see this beautiful sight every morning, I'm going to die happy."

The bookworm blushed at his praise but decided to tease him further by making a show of shaking her bum in his direction and giving him a wink over her shoulder. Harry smirked and slapped her lower cheeks with a speed she couldn't follow, making her yelp and give a small jump of surprise. She mock growled at him, but he merely smirked at her.

She finally huffed and smiled at him before grabbing her things and going into the bathroom. As he heard the water start to run, Harry put his hands in a cross hand seal and mentally said, _'Shadow Clone Technique.'_

In an explosion of smoke, a solid copy of Harry stood next to the bed, already nodding to the original. The Clone used the Transformation Technique to clothe itself then ran out of the room and outside the Leaky Cauldron to a store across the street.

Harry sat on the bed, one knee up and his right arm leaning on it, as he waited for the clone. He couldn't stop smiling at the fact that kept coming up in his head: that Hermione was now his, just as he was now hers. The teasing they had been doing to each other over the last hours only proved to him that their relationship would not be a dull one.

His face reddened as his thoughts drifted to the fact that his beautiful best-friend-now-girlfriend was currently showering nearby. The thought of a naked Hermione glistening with falling water was not helping his erection. On the contrary, it only made it much more difficult to hide. But once he thought about it, the image would not leave his mind.

His clone suddenly returned with a small bag, distracting Harry slightly. He grabbed the bag and nodded before the clone dispelled, granting Harry its memories of the trip. He opened the bag and pulled out a pair of black and white knickers, in the same size as yesterday's pair, which he held on to until Hermione came out.

At that very same moment, Hermione had shut off the water and was drying herself, making sure she didn't miss any spots, as her parents had taught her. She quickly brushed her teeth with one of the Leaky Cauldron's complementary self-cleaning toothbrushes, then wrapped her towel around herself and walked out of the bathroom, only to startle when a pair of black and white knickers landed perfectly on top of the clothes she had in her hands, thrown by her smirking boyfriend.

"You know," Hermione said lightly, "If you keep buying me knickers like this, I'm gonna run out of space in my drawers for them at home."

"Hey, better to have a surplus than a shortage," Harry shrugged, standing up while trying his best to hide his almost painful erection from her.

Unfortunately, much like her attempt of trying not to wake him up in the morning, it was for naught.

Hermione's eyes widened and her face became increasingly red when she noticed the tent in her boyfriend's boxers. Had it become larger? She could've sworn it wasn't that large this morning.

"That... looks almost painful, love," Hermione stuttered.

Harry sighed but responded truthfully, "It kind of is."

Hermione giggled and crossed the room to where Harry was, standing to his left and looking down at his erection. From Harry's point of view, he could see a familiar gleam in her eye: a spark of curiosity and an almost maniacal willingness to learn something new.

Harry then realized that she was bending over, intending to see it in her own eyes, he guessed. He couldn't help but look back when he noticed that Hermione's towel seemed to be riding up slightly, starting to show some creamy skin...

He shook himself from those thoughts and reached down to grab Hermione's hand with his own.

Hermione began to reach down, intending to prod her boyfriend's penis as she had wanted to in the morning. She felt as if she were in a haze, lost in the desire to see something that she had never seen before but read much about. She was startled from this haze when she felt a hand stop her own and, looking up, noticed that it was Harry, who was giving her a small smile while his eyes flickered every so often towards her back or, more appropriately, her buttocks.

"Hermione, not now," Harry said forcefully, both for her and for his sake and possible sanity.

Hermione gave him a pout and said, "Can't I even see it, Harry?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at the question, but relented after a small internal struggle. He wasn't even twenty-four hours into the relationship and he had already fallen prey to his girlfriend's variation of the Puppy Dog Eyes. How… quaint.

Smiling, Hermione fully reached down and, instead of reaching into his boxers like he had expected, pulled the boxers down to the floor, exposing him completely.

Hermione covered her mouth at the sight that greeted her. While he was not the biggest she had heard or read about, she could comfortably say that Harry was no pushover. With her mind already doing calculations, she realized that, while fully erect, Harry was nearly twenty two centimetres in length! (That's about 8 and a half inches).

Harry was now slightly uncomfortable at Hermione's continued staring. That she had followed this up by poking and prodding at his penis was not helping.

When she attempted to wrap her hand around it, he hit his breaking point. He grabbed her hands and pulled up, making her face him completely and drawing a yelp of surprise from her, then drew her against him with a growl of lust and slammed his lips against hers, snogging her with lustful abandon. Hermione moaned into his mouth as she felt his tongue enter her mouth and subdue her own appendage. Looking to get him back, she reached down and wrapped her fingers around his penis, just barely managing to get her hand around it. She had to marvel at the fact that for a slightly malnourished young man, Harry was very well equipped, and she could only shudder as her imagination went into overdrive.

With quick but precise movements, Hermione began moving her hand back and forth over Harry's erection, trying to get him off. She noted that Harry was shuddering slightly at her movements and continued with more vigour. Not one to be outdone, Harry slowly slid his hands inside of her towel, his slightly rough hands finding and softly grabbing Hermione's breasts. Hermione gave a small moan into Harry's mouth as the raven-haired wizard massaged her breasts. As she sped up her thrusts, he squeezed and moved faster, sometimes pinching her nipples and rolling them between his fingers.

By this point, both teens had released the other's mouth and were simply leaning their foreheads against each other's, their breaths coming in pants and gasps of pleasure.

It was minutes later, when both teens had hit the proverbial glass ceiling in their lust, that their release had come. For Hermione, it was when Harry had trailed his left hand lightly down her body only to stop at her now very moist lower lips. With a small nod of permission from her, he had reached down and slowly massaged the small bundle of nerves that was on the innermost parts of her folds while extending his middle finger fully inside of her. With a small cry of Harry's name, she had come, liquid gushing from her nether lips and trailing down her legs to form a small puddle on the floor. For Harry, it had come mere moments after his girlfriend's. The combination of Hermione's strokes with the feeling of her breasts and lower lips had driven him over the edge and, with a similar low cry of Hermione's name, he had also ejaculated, his seed gushing from his penis and landing some feet away, some of it sticking to Hermione's hand on the way out.

Both teens leaned against each other, catching their breaths and looking at each other with a mixture of love, lust, and happiness. Hermione was the first to move, releasing Harry's penis and bringing that hand up to inspect the ejaculate that had stuck to it. She turned her hand this way and that, studying the white, creamy liquid while Harry watched in amusement. She finally shrugged and lightly licked her hand, taking off most off the semen there while at the same time slightly shocking Harry, whose penis gave a small twitch at the arousing sight.

"Hmm... tastes a little salty, yet at the same time rather bland," Hermione stated, smacking her lips slightly before licking the rest of her hand, causing Harry's penis to twitch even more.

Harry shook his head in amusement and said, "I think you're going to need another shower now, love."

Hermione regarded him with a saucy smirk before turning around and walking to the bathroom, stepping on some of Harry's ejaculate on the way. She stopped at the door and looked back at Harry over her shoulder before undoing her towel and letting it fall to the floor, giving Harry a complete and unobstructed view of her back, legs, and of course, perfectly rounded buttocks, which she shook tantalizingly.

"Would you like to join me?" Hermione asked in a husky whisper before walking inside and out of Harry's view.

The raven-haired teen, now fully back at attention, wasted no time in dashing inside the bathroom after his girlfriend. His final thought before the door to the bathroom slammed was, _'Just wanted to see it, my ass!'_

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

Sometime later, the couple emerged from the bathroom, Hermione laughing lightly at something Harry had said. They hadn't gone any farther while showering, but they _had _given each other a second release and bonded even more while under the hot water, trading stories of their childhoods, both happy and not so happy ones.

"So," Harry began as they stepped fully into the room, "Hardly twenty-four hours into a relationship and we've already slept in the same bed, gotten each other off twice, and showered together. I'm no expert on relationships, but isn't that moving a little fast?"

Hermione thought about his question as they got dressed on each side of the bed. Once they were both fully clothed, they fell back on the bed side by side. Hermione turned to him then and answered the question.

"You know, I don't think so. We've been friends for quite a while now and know each other very well. Really, this a step up in our friendship, our bond, if you will, one that we chose together. So, with the openness that came from our first kiss, we acknowledged that we were really together now, and things like this are just something that we can enjoy together, you know? The beginning of one part of the relationship, I suppose."

Harry stared at her in amusement as she talked, then said lightly, "Or it could be that we're both hormonal teenagers who see each other as sexy, don't you think?"

Hermione giggled and said, "Yeah, it could be that too."

Harry became serious again and continued the train of thought. "I think you're right though. I feel as if another part of our friendship has opened up, one that I don't think we were aware of but that was still there nonetheless. Perfectly in reach in case we wanted to take it." He looked down at Hermione and smiled, "But it was a door that required two hearts beating as one to be unlocked."

Hermione looked up at him, her eyes a little misty. "That was beautiful, Harry."

Harry looked down at his girlfriend and smiled, saying, "I got inspiration from an even more beautiful source: you, love."

Hermione giggled and buried her face into his chest. Harry smiled and held her there, merely revelling in the feel of her happiness. He looked over at the clock for a moment and noticed that it was hardly ten in the morning. Just how early had they woken up today?

"'Mione, I think it's time we call your parents to let them know you're ok. I think they must be pretty worried."

Hermione jumped up as if she had been electrically shocked and ran out of the room to find the nearest public phone. Harry trailed behind her, chuckling the entire time.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

Hermione had caught her parents just as they were about to leave for work. She explained to them that she had stayed at the Leaky Cauldron for the night and that there were no problems. She also said that she had a surprise for them when they got home. With a few 'I love you's and 'be safe's, Hermione finished the call and turned back to Harry with a hopeful look.

Harry had already guessed what she wanted to ask.

"Meeting the parents already? My, my, Mione, you do work fast."

Hermione blushed and punched his shoulder. "Prat!"

"It's fine, Mione, I don't mind going with you to see your parents," Harry chuckled, "In fact, I'd love to meet them."

"Great," Hermione said with a smile, "Then let's go grab my stuff and go back to my place!"

Harry nodded and followed her back to the room. As soon as they stepped in, the smell of sex assaulted their nostrils, and both blushed brightly as they remembered that it was quite likely that it wouldn't be the last time they'd smell this. With a quick wand movement from both teens, the ejaculate on the floor disappeared and the air freshened. Finally, they grabbed Hermione's things and left the room, with Harry locking it. When they stepped downstairs, Harry told Tom the barman that he would accompany Hermione to her house and come back in a few hours at most.

As soon as they were outside, Hermione was about to hail a taxi when Harry smirked evilly and said, "Hold on, 'Mione, I know a faster way to get there."

Hermione looked at the expression on Harry's face and was understandably wary. "What way are you talking about?"

Harry simply took out his wand and held it in front of him, waiting for a short while. Hermione was about to question Harry again when a BANG startled her, causing her to step back in shock as a purple, triple-decker bus appeared in front of them. A pimply-faced youth stepped out from the back and said, "Welcum to th' Knight Bus, em'rgency service fer str'nded witch's 'nd wizards. I'm Stan Shunpike and…" Stan finally took notice of who he was talking to and said, "Oh, hey there Naruto! How you goin'?"

Harry smiled and said, "Good to see you again, Stan. The lovely lady next to me and I want to go to her place. Think the bus is up for it?"

Stan smirked and said, "What'chu take us fer, Naruto? You damn righ' it can! What's the lov'ly lady's name?"

"Sakura," Harry said before Hermione could answer, "Sakura Haruno."

Stan nodded and said, "Hop on in!"

Harry and a still speechless Hermione stepped onto the bus, Hermione telling Stan the address to her home. Instead of beds, the bus had several different kinds of seating furniture: bean bags, sofas, plus chairs, folding chairs, plastic chairs, and the like. Harry sat on a bean bag and pulled Hermione on top of him, putting the bags on her lap and holding them there.

"You might want to hold on, love," Harry whispered into her ear. Hermione wasn't sure why, exactly, but she'd come to realize it in a few seconds.

"Take 'er away, Ern!"

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Never… again…" were the first and only words out of a shell-shocked Hermione's mouth as she and Harry stepped off the Knight Bus mere minutes later.

"Well, take care, Naruto!"

"You too, Stan!"

With a wave from the conductor and a BANG, the bus was gone.

Harry walked up behind his girlfriend and put his arms around her waist, saying, "Well, did you enjoy the ride, love?"

"Did… Did I en… You complete arsehole!" Hermione yelled at Harry, turning around and throwing punches at his chest, most of which he caught easily. "You knew damn well that that bloody bus acted like that, didn't you?!"

Harry chuckled and said, "If it makes you feel any better, my reaction was exactly the same as yours when I got to the Leaky Cauldron."

Hermione huffed and turned around with arms crossed, giving her back to Harry. Harry smirked at her slightly childish attitude. Walking up to her, he leaned down and breathed lightly on her neck, making her shiver. He then placed several kisses up and down her neck, collarbone, and shoulder blade, making her moan in happiness, while his hands rubbed her thighs and lightly squeezed her breasts.

Hermione moaned at Harry's ministrations. She could never get enough of him. It seemed as though he knew just where her erogenous zones were, and was taking great pleasure in using them.

Finally, Harry slowly stopped and turned Hermione around, kissing her fully on the lips, an action she reciprocated. After a heavy snogging session, Harry finally broke the kiss and said, "Well, do you plan to invite me in or are we going to shag right here in the front lawn?"

Hermione turned red but smirked and responded, "Why not? I don't mind giving the neighbours a nice show."

Harry threw back his head and laughed, a sound that Hermione had come to love.

"We'll give them a show later, love. Now come on, I'm a little hungry and I'm thinking of making us some breakfast."

Hermione smiled and nodded, opening the door to the modest two-story house and inviting Harry in. The raven-haired boy looked around, quite taken by the sight of his girlfriend's house. Hermione led him to the kitchen, where she pulled out all the ingredients Harry told her he'd need to make brekkie.

About half an hour later, Harry and Hermione were eating and laughing at her table. In front of them were several dishes, ranging from eggs to bacon to toast. There were two open jam jars next to the toast, one of strawberry, the other of grape. They had both piled their plates high, and once they were done, Harry made sure to save some in case they wanted more later or for Hermione's parents, since Hermione had told him that, due to the fact that their dental practice wasn't too far from the house, her parents normally came back home for lunch.

After breakfast, Hermione took Harry to the living room, where she showed him their television, one gaming console, a DVD player, and a large rack filled with movies and video games.

They decided to spend the rest of the day watching movies, as this would be the last day they'd be here. They first picked out some of Hermione's childhood favourites, movies that Harry had never heard of. Starting with Cinderella, Hermione showed Harry many different stories parents told their children. The reason for this was two-fold: knowing that Harry's childhood was anything but, Hermione wanted to give him the things that were denied to him, and anything that made Harry happy made her happy by proxy.

Harry, meanwhile, was absolutely grateful at his girlfriend's thinking and actions. Just with this small act, she had endeared herself into his heart more than he thought possible.

When one o'clock came around, Hermione's parents walked into the house only to come face to face with a perplexing sight: their daughter leaning on a dark-haired, bespectacled boy's side as they watched Beauty and the Beast, while the table near them was filled with several covered dishes.

"Hermione?" Aurora Granger called out as she entered, quickly followed by her husband William.

"Oh, hi mum!" Hermione called out, jumping from her seat and grabbing her mother in a tight hug, which the woman reciprocated with a small laugh. She repeated the gesture with her father, who hugged her back with a smile, although his eyes were still trained on Harry.

"Um... darling?" Aurora asked, looking at Harry with some confusion.

"Oh, right!" Hermione exclaimed, jumping back to stand next to Harry and grab his hand as he looked at her parents with a slightly apprehensive look. "Mum, dad, this is Harry Potter, my best friend and... boyfriend."

Aurora and William looked at them both with unreadable expressions, making both teens wary. Harry, not one to be intimidated nowadays, stood his ground firmly but also gave a small wave and gave them a friendly, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Granger."

"So..." Aurora said, walking forward to stand in front of Harry, who was only about two inches shorter than her. "You're the famous Harry Potter we've heard about since Hermione's first year at Hogwarts."

"Yes, ma'am, that's me," Harry said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

Aurora unexpectedly moved forward and grabbed Harry into a tight hug, making him startle. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Harry! I must admit, you're much more handsome than Hermione's letters described. Although the 'dreamy green eyes' and 'messy black hair' are in their right places."

"Mum!" Hermione exclaimed while blushing.

"Oh, don't deny an old lady a chance to tease, Hermione, darling. It's practically a prerequisite of being a parent," Aurora giggled.

"Old lady?" Harry asked in a perplexed tone. "I beg your pardon, ma'am, but you don't look very old to me. I'd say you're into your healthy thirties at most."

Aurora tossed her head back and laughed loudly at Harry's response. Once the laughing fit ended, she said, "Oh my, Harry. Thank you for the compliment, but I'm much older than I look."

Harry shrugged and grinned, saying, "If you say so, ma'am."

"Oh no, don't call me ma'am, that truly makes me feel old. Just call me Aurora, dear," the older Granger woman said with a smile.

Harry nodded with a smile, then looked at the one person he hadn't truly greeted. He walked up to William Granger and, without preamble, put his right hand out, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Granger."

The man looked at Harry for one unreadable second before smirking and grabbing Harry's hand into a firm shake. "The pleasure is all mine."

Truthfully, William wanted to squeeze Harry's hand strongly enough to make him at least wince. But he found that to be an increasingly difficult task as the boy's hand seemed like iron against his own. On the contrary, he was squeezing tightly on William's hand, and it was starting to actually bother!

When Harry caught the tiny twitch of William's arm and left eye, he immediately retracted his hand but maintained his smirk. William, meanwhile, stepped back as well and kept his hands to his sides. Harry looked around for a second then said in a surprised tone, "Hey, where'd the ladies go?"

The question was answered when both males heard the sound of Aurora moaning in delight while Hermione talked about some of Harry's qualities. Harry and William looked at each other for a second before laughing sheepishly and rubbing the backs of their respective heads at the same time. With a double shrug, they walked into the kitchen, with Aurora almost immediately commanding William to sit his butt down on a chair and try the delicious bacon Harry had cooked.


End file.
